We're Not Broken Yet
by LuckySmarts
Summary: AU set after the finale of S2. Alec has moved away to start a new life, and Ellie is slowly fixing her broken family. But when unlikely circumstances draw them back together, they need to wrap up everything unfinished between them. WARNING: May contain depressing scenes and/or character death in later chapters. May hint at Alec/Ellie pairing.
1. Chapter 1

Well.

Nothing really turned out the way he wanted it.

He barely saw Daisy more than he'd used to. She was always busy with school or friends. Though he did cherish the occasional visits. He would kill for more time with her.

Oakston was a nice enough town and all, but as much as he hated to admit it, Alec missed Broadchurch. Wait. _No._ That was wrong. He actually pretty much despised Broadchurch. But he did miss Ellie.

Not that he didn't have any friends here. There was Victoria, in the house alongside his. She was an okay neighbor. A little too nosy for him. But okay.

And there was the guy in the other house, on his left side. Had he forgotten his name already? _Ugh._

Okay, so maybe he didn't have friends here either. But he was closer to Daisy. And that was what mattered.

Alec gave a grunt, settling down at his desk, long fingers around the handle of a mug of coffee. He was allowed to have it now, and he'd now become somewhat dependent on it, unable to function without a cup of the steaming liquid in the morning.

He'd been unable to find a job, at least not one he'd be good at. But at the same time, he wasn't exactly in the need of money just at this moment. He was off fairly well, at least for the next couple months. So he'd become something he would have never seen coming.

An author.

_A bloody flipping author._

Trying to write a murder mystery.

He could practically hear Ellie mocking him.

And it was going well. He poured himself into his work, the way he always had. But it wasn't as stressful, now. He didn't actually have to catch a killer. There wasn't the risk of letting someone down.

He wasn't a failure.

And so he enjoyed it, to some extent. He'd gotten a CD player and used it frequently as he wrote, and he'd gotten a new pair of reading glasses because he'd cracked his old ones. He was already on the seventh chapter, and he'd only been out of Broadchurch for two and a half weeks.

But he also had a nagging feeling. Loneliness. He hadn't given or gotten a phone call from anyone he'd known back in Broadchurch. He'd only have wanted to talk to Ellie anyway. But still.

He leaned in close to his laptop screen, typing furiously. Best distraction he'd been able to find so far, writing.

**_Though he denied it, Smith was growing more and more fond of his partner. Even with her ridiculous jacket and that fluffy hair. But he just couldn't risk it. He needed to solve this case, to put his past behind him. And then, that would be it. He'd leave. He couldn't bear having his heart broken again._**

What was he turning this into, a romance novel? Absolute crap. He deleted his past couple chapters, which had sounded all pretty similar. His main character slowly falling in love with his police partner. But always too afraid to show himself. Keeping himself distanced and gruff.

_Pretty rubbish storyline,_ he thought. It'd be better if he could just figure out how to get them both together without making it too cheesy.

He pushed himself back away from the desk with a sigh. He'd rewrite the chapters tomorrow.

For now, he'd go out. Take a walk. That always helped.

….

Ellie pushed along the stroller, Tom alongside her. They'd wanted to get away from Broadchurch, just for the weekend. Ellie thought it might be good, for some family bonding time. Oakston had seemed just perfect. Completely away from the sea. Different from Broadchurch, but not too expensive to travel to.

They'd checked into the local hotel, and now they were just out for some fresh air. See what was in the area.

Ellie had heard there was a park around somewhere, but despite walking around for the past half hour, they'd been unable to find any such thing. She spotted a man with his back to them, looking off into the woods. "Sir! Excuse me, sir?" she called out. "Would you be able to point us to the park?"

He turned around, and she froze, mouth open. Same scruffy face. Same stupid haircut with his bangs in his eyes.

He was practically mirroring her expression, purely shocked.

"HARDY?" she exclaimed.

"…Miller?"


	2. Chapter 2

They both hesitate, staring at each other like deer in headlights.

Then, Hardy approaches her, eagerly. "Miller." he says again, his tone still shocked. "….Why are _you_ here?" He gestures to Tom and Fred. "What are you all doing?"

"We...just wanted to get away. For the weekend." Ellie says, stammering a little in shock. "...Why are you here?" she adds on.

"I live here." he snaps, a hint of defensiveness in his tone.

"Oh." She should have assumed this. "...Right. That's um. That's great. It's a lovely little town."

He shrugs and gives a noise of acknowledgment. "...It's okay." he mutters.

They both look at each other for a minute or so. "So. About the park," Alec says after a moment. "I haven't got a clue where it is either."

….

After harassing several locals for directions, Hardy and Miller find themselves seated on a park bench. Tom is off playing with a boy his age on the playground, and Fred's fallen asleep in the stroller beside Ellie.

So now it's just them.

Normal people might make an effort to catch up before berating each other, but Hardy skips to the point.

"Christ, it's sixty degrees out, do you ever take off that jacket?"

She wants to argue that he's wearing a coat too, but in preparation for this argument he's already slipped it off, draping it haphazardly over the back of the bench.

"Why is my jacket any of your business?"

"Because it burns my eyes every time I look at it."

"Well, there's something wrong with your eyes, then."

They're silent for about half a minute before Ellie decides that she's going to have to be the not-socially-inept one in this situation.

"So...how have you been?"

"Fine. You?"

She mentally curses him out. He's not in a chatty mood at all today. Well. A talkative mood for him isn't her definition of 'chatty' anyways, but it'd be helpful if he could talk a little more than a plank of wood.

"Pretty much the same." she admits. "Everything's been sort of...drab."

"You should bring you and your boys up here more often." Alec says, gesturing to the playset. "Tom's 'aving the time of his life, at least."

She shakes her head with affection. "Couldn't afford to do it too often." she says wistfully. "Maybe every once in a while."

He nods thoughtfully. "Maybe," he agrees quietly.

"So….what have you been up to?"

He regards her carefully, unsure of how much he can tell her without getting laughed at. "Um. I've been….writing." he informs her, crossing his arms.

She blinked. "...Like for...magazines and things?"

"No, no. A book." He pauses, then clarifies after a minute. "A mystery novel."

She continues to look at him, surprised, and he quickly adds "Don't laugh!"

"I'm not going to." she reassures, catching the defensive edge to his tone. "That's….that's really great, Hardy. I'm glad you've found something that makes you happy."

He smiles slightly. "Aye. It does. I'm…" he rubs the back of his neck absentmindedly. "I'm happy."

They're silent for a little longer, but happy silence, not uncomfortable silence.

"Tom and Fred. They've been doing well?"

"Oh, they're great. They miss their Uncle Alec."

"You're just saying that."

"No, Tom's asked about you. Fred keeps looking around for you. He gets upset when he realizes you aren't there."

"Oh." The corners of his mouth turn downwards. "I'll...maybe have to drop by sometime." he suggests.

She smiles and gives a nod. "You should do that." she agrees.

He nods, then looks at her again. "You're here till what, Sunday night then?"

"Yeah." she sighs. "I've got to get back to work after that. You know how it is."

He shrugs, watching Tom running around, carefree for once. "You should come by." he mumbles.

She looks at him. "I should what?"

"Come by. My house?" he repeats in a slower tone, one eyebrow raised. "For dinner?"

She looks at him in surprise for a minute, like she might have misheard him. "..You'd want me to?"

He rolls his eyes. " 'M not telling you to pack your suitcases and move in. It's _dinner_, don't know why you're so shocked over it." he replies in a huff.

…

Ellie is actually the one who ends up cooking. Hardy sort of shuffles around and moves things, looking like he's busy. And also occasionally gripes about the weather. But he's surprisingly more cheerful than he was when she last saw him. She can see a visible difference in the way he moves. He carries himself not like a man who's failed, but a man who has pride. Sure, he's still irritable and a bit of a pain sometimes, but she's missed him.

Dinner passes quickly, and Ellie's unsure of how the rest of the evening will go, because they're still chatting away. To her relief, Hardy offers Tom his phone to play apps or whatever on, and then scoops Fred into his lap. Ellie settles on the sofa beside him.

"Hi, Fred," he says quietly, and she's not sure if he's still aware she's there. His voice is soft, warm. "Have you missed me?"

He burbles happily before promptly seizing Alec's ear and yanking hard on it.

"Fred!" Ellie reprimands though she's suppressing a giggle.

Hardy waves her away, his expression somewhere between a wince and beaming. "'S fine. Daisy used to do the same thing when she was his age."

She smiles fondly, and he does too. "They grow up so fast." he blurts out. "Soon you're not cool enough to hang out with them. And then they're worrying about driver's licenses and new jobs and the newest tablet."

"Thanks for ruining the moment." she says, giving him a playful slap on the arm.

"Sorry," he mutters, waving a hand to deflect her.

She glances around his living room. "It's….really quiet, here," he says. "Not that it isn't nice. But you should, um. Get a pet or something. To keep you company."

His nose crinkles, and he shakes his head immediately. "Never much liked pets." he mutters. "Too much hair."

"I don't think you're able to critique anyone or anything on their hair," she says, gesturing to his beard and floppy bangs.

"Says you," he retorts, waving a hand at her curls.

Ellie just sighs, and Alec gives a smug smile. "That's right, Fred," he coos. "Mum's a bit of a hypocrite on people's hairstyles, now isn't she."

"Don't rub off on him too much," she warns. "If he starts staring off into the horizon for no reason, he's not going to visit Uncle Alec anymore."

"If Mum keeps bugging me," he says cheerfully, only looking at Fred, never meeting Ellie's eyes, "I am going to boot her out of my house."

"If Uncle Alec doesn't stop," she says calmly, "I'm buying him a matching jacket. And making him wear it."

The argument pretty much ended there.

...

**A/N: Thanks for reading, everyone! I've been shocked at how much you guys like this story! I usually write really short chapters, this is a lot longer than my standard, which will hopefully help make up for the sad fact that I'm not going to have much time to write. I'm extremely busy with school. However, I'll still aim to get a new chapter out every few days.**


	3. Chapter 3

Hardy gave a mutter of disapproval, hand slamming around for the alarm clock. After a good five tries, he hit the 'snooze' button and rolled back over with a grunt.

Ellie and the kids had left pretty late the night before. They'd had a lot to talk about- her pending divorce from Joe being the main topic, their voices lowered enough so Tom wouldn't overhear. Of course, he wasn't surprised. Divorce was her only option, in reality. The only thing he found really shocking was that she wouldn't be 'Miller' anymore. This troubled him somewhat- would he call her by her maiden name now, or would he just call her...'_Ellie_'? Just when he thought he could rely on only saying 'Miller' to get her attention. After they'd exchanged awkward goodbyes, he'd lay awake in bed for a few hours. Actually, more than a few, he'd been up till around four, just thinking. He'd planned to get up early and get some writing done, but no, that was not going to happen at the moment.

He really did want to sleep, but something was nagging at the back of his mind. The thing that had been keeping him up.

Miller is leaving. They've agreed to meet up for dinner again, and then they'll be back to saying goodbyes. She'll have to go back home, go back to her everyday life. He's not ready for it. He doesn't want to go back to making halfhearted conversation with….Veronica….Vanessa….Victoria? Something like that. He wants to have a genuine friendship with someone, and the only person who seems willing to offer that to him right now is Ellie.

He didn't want to do another handshake goodbye.

He pulled the blankets tighter around himself with a sigh, eyes sliding closed. He'd work it out later.

**_.…._**

"Are you sure we have to go?"

"Yes, Tom. It's still a possibility that I could eventually be promoted. I'm not going to risk losing that by taking too much time off."

"But you're really happy when you're with Alec."

"I'm happy when I'm at work, too," Ellie reminded her son. "And we'll try to keep in touch more this time, okay? He said he'll give me a ring in a couple days, when we're back home."

Tom is unsatisfied with this answer but nods. Fred just screeches. He hasn't quite gotten the hang of the whole 'talking' thing. At all. But generally if they sort of nod and act like they know what he's saying he's satisfied, so it all works out.

"You should tell Hardy." she says gently after a moment. "That miss him. Try to convince him to come back to Broadchurch for a night or two sometime, yeah?"

Tom briefly hesitates before nodding yes. It sounds like a plan.

**_…._**

Hardy runs his thumb up and down the side of the bottle of pills slowly.

They're for depression, not for a heart problem.

He was officially diagnosed with depression a day after he moved to Oakston. He had initially been incredibly skeptical about the medication, refusing it at all at first. But now, he had to admit it really had made a difference in his life. He felt younger. No, that wasn't it. He felt _lighter_. He had let go of some of the weights dragging him down, sinking him deeper and deeper into his own world.

It doesn't mean he's forgotten everything that's happened in his life, everything he's gone through with Ellie, with Daisy, with Tess, and most of all, what he's gone through alone. No, he's far from forgetting. But now, he's able to make new memories. He can feel happiness again, and it's almost shocking to him.

He feels like a hormonal teenage boy, getting ready for his first date all over again. Not that he's putting effort into his appearance because of Ellie. That's ridiculous. He just doesn't want to make the same kind of first impression in Oakston that he made in Broadchurch- a really horrible one. He hardly knows anyone here, but he does know what people do when they see someone new in a small town- they stare. So he's ironed the button-down, he's straightened the tie. He feels like a new man. _Almost._

He looks in the mirror and runs his hand down the side of his face, regarding his scruff with uncertainty. Ellie doesn't like it, Tess says it looks sort of terrifying, and Daisy absolutely detests it. He takes his razor out and looks at it then back at the mirror nervously.

Imagining Ellie looking shocked at the sight of him clean-shaven is enough to make the final decision, and he starts to apply shaving cream to his face.

**…..**

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short! Hopefully I'll get some more writing time in the near future, I adore writing but I haven't been able to do much of it. Thanks to readers for, well, reading! Please, please review! You have no idea how much I appreciate it! _(And I won't get super defensive over critique, either :) )_**

_**These few chapters have been slow, but I promise action is soon to arrive.**_


	4. Chapter 4

Ellie carries Fred onto the outdoor patio of the restaurant, Tom beside her. She doesn't see him. Alec isn't here yet?

She scans the faces again and then it hits her- he _is_ here. That clean-shaven man with a not-completely-disheveled outfit is Alec.

"_Hardy_?" she gapes in disbelief. He looks up from the menu with a completely blank expression, as if he has no clue why she's surprised.

"Yah," he says. "You're five minutes late."

….

A little over half an hour later, when they've started their meal, she's still trying to force herself not to stare at him. She can't help it. She's grown so used to the scruff that seeing him without it is the equivalent of seeing him in an oversized Christmas sweater. As in, it doesn't happen.

Except apparently it does.

He looks a good ten years younger, his dimples and the creases around his mouth when he smiles (which is still pretty infrequent) more visible now. She can tell that he's a little unsure of himself, because he keeps either rubbing his face where the scruff used to be or tugging at his tie, pulling it sideways. Maybe that's his nervous habit, she muses. It would certainly explain why his tie's always crooked.

He looks at her with furrowed brows, catching her staring, and she glances back at Tom. To her relief, he's been glancing at Alec too. At least she's not the only one somewhat shocked.

A moment later, Fred is leaning to rub his fingers against Alec's now smooth face, looking awestruck. Alec seems to find this amusing, even though Fred has almost poked him in the eye about five times.

"Careful, Fred," he says in a fatherly tone, his thickly accented voice warm. "You're tipping the highchair." he adds, steadying him with a hand.

Tom grins at his mother, and Ellie can see his eyes begging for them to stay in Oakston. She grins back, though she knows she'll have to deny him this later. Hardy does make her happy, and he makes Tom and Fred happy too. He's a good friend. But he's got a life of his own, too.

And anyway, she's happier in Broadchurch. Isn't she?

Fred settles down after a minute, and Alec pokes awkwardly at his salad. He's most conversational when the person he's talking with is under 3. Ellie thinks this may be because two year olds will generally not insult one's hairstyle or sense of fashion. Which must be a huge plus when befriending Hardy.

"So," Tom pipes up. "Are you ever coming back to Broadchurch?"

Ellie shoots him a look and Alec coughs self-consciously. "Ehm. I...probably." he admits, tugging at his collar. When Tom brightens, he's forced to add, "but not anytime soon, I'm afraid." He then looks at Ellie. "Why, Dirty Brian and friends miss me already?" he teases, knowing full well that they don't.

Ellie can't help but grin. "Oh, you have no idea," she says, straight-faced. "Everyone's just been moping about, talking about how much you meant to them." Hardy gives a snort of laughter and she grins.

She doesn't know that he knows the extent to which his coworkers hated him. They didn't know he heard the insults they muttered. He did, but yet he couldn't blame them. He didn't necessarily 'dislike' them, he was just...neutral. Ellie was the only one he'd even somewhat bonded with. He'd learned coworkers weren't always to be trusted.

"So, Miller…." he says, rubbing his chin. "...Are you still a PC, or..?"

"No," she says proudly, straightening a little. "I'm back to DI now."

He catches the light in her eyes and tilts her head. "Would Jenkinson consider giving you a promotion?"

She hesitates. "She knows," Ellie says quietly, "that I had no involvement in..."

"Danny's case," Hardy interjects so she doesn't have to.

She nods. "And she said it's a possibility. In the future." She smacks his arm lightly. "If some wanker doesn't steal the job out from under me." Alec gives a tiny, somewhat smug smile at this.

"Good for you." he adds gruffly after a minute.

"Thanks." she says, and her and Tom share a smile, knowing this is about as much encouragement as they're going to get out of Hardy.

When it's time for Ellie to head back to the hotel, it is done slowly and regretfully. This time, she allows Alec to give her a hug. "Still," she warns, "don't go overboard on the being nice to me."

He rolls his eyes in response. "Oh, _stuff it_, Miller," he mutters. "I don't think that'll be happening anytime soon."

**…...**

It is 3am and Fred is wailing.

Again.

He's been crying off and on ever since they got back to the hotel. Ellie has no idea what is wrong and honestly doesn't know what to do at this point.

She turns the light back on with a sigh, careful not to wake Tom, and lifts him up.

"Oh, sweetie," she murmurs. "What's wrong?"

Fred gives another soft wail then mumbles. "A...a..."

Ellie feels her heart skip a beat. Whatever he's trying to say, it could be his first word.

"A..." he continues, stammering.

"Good, good job," she encourages him. "You can do it."

"Al.._.al.._" he continues, and then the finally gets it.

_"AWEC!"_

She is torn between complete, utter joy and _his first word was bloody Alec?_


	5. Chapter 5

The day Alec has been somewhat anticipating and somewhat dreading for the past few weeks has finally arrived.

He's been chosen as a chaperone for one of Daisy's school field trips, and today is the day he will need to shepherd around a pack of overly hormonal, probably whiny teenagers who know next to nothing about him.

On the bright side, he gets to spend more time with Daisy, which is what he'd always wanted.

He sighs. It's a hiking trip in Sandbrook. He's surprised that they'd pick him to chaperone, given his history with the place, but it's possible they just didn't know.

Oh, and 'casual attire' is required. So after much complaining and arguing, Daisy has convinced him he'll be arriving in a t-shirt and jeans and black trainers she had to practically force him to purchase.

Hardy looks at himself in the mirror, rubbing his clean-shaven chin. Anything for Daisy.

**…..**

Ellie rubs her face in her hands, pondering the offer CS Jenkinson has just given her.

She's decided that she wouldn't be able to promote Ellie to DI in Broadchurch. She says it would make the department come under scrutiny by the public eye, which they've had enough of in the past few months. She's hurt. She's very hurt. After everything she's done, the amount of work she's put in. But she also understands. If Joe had been convicted, things might have been different.

But apparently, someone else is willing to give her a job, CS Jenkinson had also pointed out.

She'd had a thorough discussion with a CS of another police department. She'd convinced them that Ellie, despite her now tainted backstory, really was an amazing addition to the police force and would work well somewhere where she wouldn't be constantly judged for actions she had nothing to do with.

Of course, it's the police department of Oakston.

So now she has a choice. Go make a fresh start in a town where she knows one person, a perpetually annoyed now-author, and leave behind everything she has ever known, or stay here and never be able to reach new heights, pushed down by her husband's mistakes, with the small benefit of a select few friends and family.

She doesn't have to decide right away, Jenkinson had reassured her. And she's thankful for that. Because it's not just her leaving. It's Tom, too. He's never known anything besides the sandy beaches of Broadchurch, the pleasant bustle of the small town. He doesn't have friends anywhere else. And Fred, too, though she's sure he'd be happy anywhere his "Uncle Alec" is within easy reach.

Maybe the only way for them to move on is to fully let go.

**...**

**A/N: I'm so, so sorry this chapter has been so short! I will hopefully have a few new chapters along w/some new stories out soon! I'm currently extremely busy with school &amp; seeking out freelance writing opportunities. Thanks everyone for the support even though I can't publish work on nearly as much as I'd like to.**


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